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In the current implementation of EPC-s, the assessment focus is purely on the energy consumption data. For the next generation of EPC-s, new performance indicators are proposed to address relevant building performance aspects, such as sustainability, productivity and market value. These indicators would enable evidence-based decision-making processes and facilitate the delivery of renovation triggers. Within the EPC framework, the problem is not the availability of such performance indicators, but the assessment effort required. Only easily available data can justifiably be introduced to bulk EPC-s, either as direct complementary input or as a performance indicator. Availability of such data was analysed from case studies that included EPC-s from 11 EU member states, mainly non-residential buildings. Analysed data included relevant HVAC information such as ventilation air flows, heating and cooling set-points and installed power, but also output data, such as EPC classes, net and primary energy need and GHG emissions. Based on our findings, we outlined two different development paths - one for existing buildings and one for new buildings and major renovations. Two categories of complementary indicators to energy are proposed – IEQ and power indicators.

In the TripleA-reno project, a new combined labelling scheme was developed for dwellings. The combined labelling includes the evaluation of the energy performance, indoor environmental quality and well-being of occupants in dwellings. In this paper, the method of the TripleA-reno combined labelling scheme, the necessary calculations and measurements and the labelling process are introduced. In the TripleA-reno project, the developed combined labelling was successfully applied to different demonstration cases. The main results and experiences of the combined labelling for four demonstration cases located in Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy are presented.

A historical office building was refurbished in Budapest a few years ago. An energy audit was made in the renovated building. During the energy audit a comfort questionnaire was prepared in order to assess the occupants’ opinion about comfort parameters. The questionnaire was filled out by 65 employees. Using the questionnaire the occupant opinion on comfort conditions, as well as operational information and complaints can be gathered. During the energy audit the air temperature was measured by dataloggers in different places to collect real temperature data. The paper presents the developed comfort questionnaire, the results of the occupant comfort survey and the temperature measurements and how these can be considered during the elaboration of recommended interventions.

Summary: The two paralogous Arabidopsis genes MAINTENANCE OF MERISTEMS (MAIN) and MAINTENANCE OF MERISTEMS LIKE1 (MAIL1) encode a conserved retrotransposon‐related plant mobile domain and are known to be required for silencing of transposable elements (TE) and for primary root development. Loss of function of either MAIN or MAIL1 leads to release of heterochromatic TEs, reduced condensation of pericentromeric heterochromatin, cell death of meristem cells and growth arrest of the primary root soon after germination. Here, we show that they act in one protein complex that also contains the inactive isoform of PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 7 (PP7), which is named PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 7‐LIKE (PP7L). PP7L was previously shown to be important for chloroplast biogenesis and efficient chloroplast protein synthesis. We show that loss of PP7L function leads to the same root growth phenotype as loss of MAIL1 or MAIN. In addition, pp7l mutants show similar silencing defects. Double mutant analyses confirmed that the three proteins act in the same molecular pathway. The primary root growth arrest, which is associated with cell death of stem cells and their daughter cells, is a consequence of genome instability. Our data demonstrate so far unrecognized functions of an inactive phosphatase isoform in a protein complex that is essential for silencing of heterochromatic elements and for maintenance of genome stability in dividing cells. Significance Statement: MAIN, MAIL1, and MIPP act in one complex that is essential for heterochromatin silencing and maintenance of genome stability during primary root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γ-Tubulin is associated with microtubule nucleation, but evidence is accumulating in eukaryotes that it also functions in nuclear processes and in cell division control independently of its canonical role. We found that in Arabidopsis thaliana , γ-tubulin interacts specifically with E2FA, E2FB, and E2FC transcription factors both in vitro and in vivo. The interaction of γ-tubulin with the E2Fs is not reduced in the presence of their dimerization partners (DPs) and, in agreement, we found that γ-tubulin interaction with E2Fs does not require the dimerization domain. γ-Tubulin associates with the promoters of E2F-regulated cell cycle genes in an E2F-dependent manner, probably in complex with the E2F–DP heterodimer. The up-regulation of E2F target genes PCNA , ORC2 , CDKB1;1 , and CCS52A under γ-tubulin silencing suggests a repressive function for γ-tubulin at G1/S and G2/M transitions, and the endocycle, which is consistent with an excess of cell division in some cells and enhanced endoreduplication in others in the shoot and young leaves of γ-tubulin RNAi plants. Altogether, our data show ternary interaction of γ-tubulin with the E2F–DP heterodimer and suggest a repressive role for γ-tubulin with E2Fs in controlling mitotic activity and endoreduplication during plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target of rapamycin (TOR), a master sensor for growth factors and nutrition availability in eukaryotic species, is a specific target protein of rapamycin. Rapamycin inhibits TOR kinase activity viaFK506 binding protein 12 kDa (FKBP12) in all examined heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms. In Arabidopsis, several independent studies have shown that AtFKBP12 is non-functional under aerobic condition, but one study suggests that AtFKBP12 is functional during anaerobic growth. However, the functions of AtFKBP12 have never been examined in parallel under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions so far. To this end, we cloned the FKBP12 gene of humans, yeast, and Arabidopsis, respectively. Transgenic plants were generated, and pharmacological examinations were performed in parallel with Arabidopsis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. ScFKBP12 conferred plants with the strongest sensitivity to rapamycin, followed by HsFKBP12, whereas AtFKBP12 failed to generate rapamycin sensitivity under aerobic condition. Upon submergence, yeast and human FKBP12 can significantly block cotyledon greening while Arabidopsis FKBP12 only retards plant growth in the presence of rapamycin, suggesting that hypoxia stress could partially restore the functions of AtFKBP12 to bridge the interaction between rapamycin and TOR. To further determine if communication between TOR and auxin signaling exists in plants, yeast FKBP12 was introduced into DR5::GUS homozygous plants. The transgenic plants DR5/BP12 were then treated with rapamycin or KU63794 (a new inhibitor of TOR). GUS staining showed that the auxin content of root tips decreased compared to the control. DR5/BP12 plants lost sensitivity to auxin after treatment with rapamycin. Auxin-defective phenotypes, including short primary roots, fewer lateral roots, and loss of gravitropism, occurred in DR5/BP12 plants when seedlings were treated with rapamycin+KU63794. This indicated that the combination of rapamycin and KU63794 can significantly inhibit TOR and auxin signaling in DR5/BP12 plants. These studies demonstrate that TOR is essential for auxin signaling transduction in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]